National Puerto Rican Day Parade

National Puerto Rican Day Parade

NEW YORK — You don’t have to be from Puerto Rico to enjoy the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

At first, you may feel like an outsider, Puerto Rican pride is overwhelming. But standing on the sidelines – taking in the floats, dancers, music and the crowd – is like not dancing at a wedding. You just want to jump in.

Every year, “it’s just gotten bigger and better,” said one long-time parade-goer. The event’s organizers estimated that 20,000 marched this year and 2-million would attend. The parade kicked off around 11 a.m. on 5th Avenue near 44th Street. This year’s Grand Marshal was Puerto Rican actress and singer Rita Morena.

“It’s Puerto Rican day you gotta have pride! I was born and raised! I’m proud to be Puerto Rican,” screamed another parade goer, Linda Jiminez, over the music.

Many marchers carried banners calling for freedom for political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera, who has been locked up since 1981. Lopez Rivera is a prominent advocate for Puerto Rican independence.

Parade organizers say that in addition to celebrating Puerto Rican culture, they wanted to raise awareness this year for Caño Martín Peña, a 3.75-mile canal in the heart of San Juan. Currently, organizers say, the region is in environmental, social and economic crisis.

“The situation at Caño Martín Peña is very similar to the environmental justice struggles faced by Puerto Rican and Latino communities in the United States,” said a released statement by Lorraine Cortés-Vásquez, President of NPRDP, “Our goal is to educate everyone about what is going on in an objective way.”

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